I was listening to my radio today because I currently don't have a CD player in my car. I turned the station to country. Now I don't usually listen to country mostly because Tim HATES it. But I happened upon a most delightful song. It was, ofcourse, about a man at a bar talking with a complete stranger. They talked about a lot of things, but the key phrase was:
"God is Great, beer is good, and people are crazy."
Isn't it just the truth? So simple, so profound.
But it also made me think:
Isn't it interesting that there are so many different kinds of music: pop, jazz, metal, indie, and not a one of them talks about God? Yet, you can turn it to a country song, and hear about God within 30 seconds? Why is it that? Does that mean that only southern people think about God? Of course they also think about beer and loose women, but that's hardly the point :)
5 comments:
So glad to hear you were listening to country!!
Erin, I've been listening to country music for thirty years now. Over that time, it has changed from twang, to pop, to traditional, and back to twang. But, one thing that's been fairly consistent over that time, is country music's willingness to bring up God and Jesus. While some of them may be humorous, as in the lyrics you heard, most tend to be very serious references to God/Jesus. For example, Carrie Underwood's first big hit was: "Jesus take the wheel". Try finding that in the world of pop, or r & b, or soul, or rap.
Anyway, glad to know you're listening to some country these days. Mark that dial on the radio and check it out every so often. I think you'll be surprised at how good some of it really is.
Heard about this song yesterday! love it!!
Ok, so after reading your blog I remembered something Jeff Foxworthy said at the end of a CMT award show a while ago. Thought it went right with your blog!
"I started thinking about why I like country music and doing this show so much, and here's what I came up with, y'all.
"I like country music because it's about the things in life that really matter. It ain't about braggin' about how you're gonna mess somebody up, or how somebody ain't respectin' ya. It's about love, family, friends -- with a few beers, a cheap woman and a two-timin' man thrown in for spice. It doesn't take political sides, even with things as ugly as war. Instead, it celebrates the brave men and women who go to fight 'em, the price they pay to do it and the longin' we have for them to return home to the ones that they love.
"It's about kids and how there ain't nothin' like 'em. I get tired of hearin' about how bad kids are today, because there are a lot of great kids out there that just need somebody to love 'em and believe in 'em. Country folks love their kids and they will jack you up if you try to mess with 'em!
"People in country music don't forget the people that allow them to do what they do for a livin'. They sign autographs and they take pictures with the fans because they know without 'em most of us entertainers would be gettin' a lot dirtier in the course of our workday. We are thankful that people want to hear the songs and the jokes that we write. Country music doesn't have to be politically correct. We sing about God because we believe in Him. We are not trying to offend anybody, but the evidence that we have seen of Him in our small little lives trumps your opinion about whether or not He exists.
"We love country music because it touches us where we live. It's about mommas, and when they were hot, and when they are unappreciated, and when they were dyin'. It's about daddies and the difficulties they have sometimes at tellin' the people that they work so hard to protect and provide for how they feel about 'em.
"Country music is about new love and it's about old love. It's about gettin' drunk and gettin' sober. It's about leavin' and it's about comin' home. It's real music sung by real people for real people, the people that make up the backbone of this country. You can call us rednecks if you want. We're not offended, 'cause we know what we're all about. We get up and go to work, we get up and go to church, and we get up and go to war when necessary.
"All we ask for is a few songs to carry us along the way, and that's why I love this show, because it ain't some self-important Hollywood hype with the winners determined by somebody else. On this show, you decide who goes home with a trophy and you get to dance and sing along with the people that bring you the songs of your life."
This song has become a song of note in our church lately. Although I don't like the song itself, the line always makes me laugh.
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